19 September 2024
TJ Gaushas
Gone are the days when TV commercials and newspaper advertisements were the best way to get your services/products in front of your targeted customers. However, modern marketing requires that you think beyond these traditional methods. You need to meet your customers where they are all the time – on their phones. Here is where SMS marketing platforms/services come into the picture.
You can directly interact with your potential and existing customers through text message marketing by sending them promotional SMS and MMS, resolving their queries, and accepting payments. However, you need automated texting software to help you manage and execute SMS marketing campaigns more effectively and precisely. So you can reap all the benefits of text message marketing.
In this article, we have curated a list of the best SMS marketing platforms, their features, pros, and cons. It will help you decide which is best for you by transforming your customer outreach.
However, before diving deep into it, let us first understand what SMS marketing is.
SMS marketing means using text messaging to promote your product/service or communicate with your customers. Text message marketing is not only a promotional tool but also beyond that. It is a dynamic and conversational communication channel that can help you build relationships, offer timely updates, and resolve customer problems. These days, people lead a hectic lifestyle where grabbing customers' attention is challenging, but with 98% open rates, SMS marketing is an effective method that businesses must include in their overall marketing strategy.
Still not convinced?
Check out these benefits of SMS marketing.
Text message marketing is not about sending a few promotional messages here and there. It offers various benefits to businesses, including:
Immediate Reach | Text messaging lets businesses offer timely updates and create urgency in promotional campaigns. |
Cost-Effective | Compared to other marketing channels, text messaging is budget-friendly. You can reach a larger audience without breaking your bank account. |
Conversational Marketing | SMS offers two-way communication. You can connect with your customers, solve their queries, and gather feedback more effectively and personally. |
High Engagement Rates | Email offers 20% open rates, while text messaging has 98% open rate. Almost all messages are read by recipients within the first three minutes of delivery. |
To understand how automated texting impacts SMS marketing, let's understand how SMS automation can improve efficiency.
SMS automation is the backbone of cutting-edge SMS marketing.
How?
Let’s understand it through the below scenario.
Picture this: You are busy establishing your business, BUT as you have not included automated texting, you need to manually send text messages to almost thousands of subscribers! It seems overwhelming, right?
Automation help you solve this problem. It enables you to streamline repetitive tasks such as text message scheduling, answering frequently asked questions, sending follow-ups, etc.
Automated texting offers you the below-mentioned benefits:
Now that you know the benefits of automated texting, the question is – which features should you look for in the automated texting software?
Read on to get its answer.
You should look for an automated texting platform that offers features like bulk texting, MMS integration, drip SMS campaigns, segmentation, integration, shortcodes, smart text responses, automated triggers, etc. In the next section, we will understand how these features benefit your business.
Not all text marketing platforms are the same, and there is no one-size-fits-all. You need to choose the SMS marketing tools according to your business needs, size, industry, and goals. Here is what you should consider.
The table below shows a few must-have features to consider to help you grow your customer base and increase your business ROI.
Features | Benefits |
Bulk Texting | It helps you send tailored bulk SMS to many customers at the same time. |
MMS Drip | Through it, you can add visual appeals to your text messages by including images, videos, and GIFs. |
Advanced Segmentation | You can divide your customers into specific groups and send them personalized and highly relevant messages. |
SMS Automation | You can send messages like welcome, follow-ups, etc., through SMS automation, according to triggers. |
Shortcodes | With shortcodes, you can simplify the opt-in procedure and establish two-way messaging. |
Integration | This feature lets you combine your SMS marketing platform with other business tools. You can manage everything on one dashboard. |
Drip SMS Campaigns | Using it, you can send pre-scheduled messages, nurture your leads, and keep your customers engaged without bombarding them with all the information at once. |
Opt-Out | It lets your users easily opt out when they are no longer interested in receiving texts from your business. So you can have a more targeted audience that is genuinely interested in hearing from your business. |
AI-based Smart Text Response | Choose the software that uses AI and ML to analyze SMS responses for automatic intent detection and classification. Based on the customers' intent, they respond. It improves customer satisfaction by reducing human intervention. |
Analytics & Reporting | It helps you know which campaign is performing well and which requires improvement. |
Another important factor is choosing the SMS marketing software that has a user-friendly interface. So, if you are not tech-savvy, you can easily set up SMS campaigns. Don't forget to look for a customer support and training hub.
Choose the scalable software. As your business grows, the platform should be able to adapt to the increasing demand for message volumes and integrate easily into existing CRM or other business tools.
Different platforms have different pricing structures. However, ensure you go for the value-for-money platform. Generally, platforms have the price-per-message model or monthly/annual model. Price-per-message offers basic text message sending, ideal for low-volume SMS campaigns. Conversely, monthly or yearly plans include advanced features like automation, MMS, and integrations, which are perfect for high-volume messages.
You should choose a text marketing platform that follows regulations such as TCPA, 10DLC, & GDPR. Therefore, you don't have to deal with hefty fines. Select software with opt-in, opt-out, and solid encryption features to protect sensitive data.
SMS marketing software makes it super easy for businesses to interact with consumers. Here are the top automated texting software that you can consider in 2024.
Looking for a feature-rich SMS marketing platform that helps you automate your SMS campaign? Textdrip is the perfect pick that offers a 30-day free trial. With features like schedule SMS, personalization, quick response, AI-driven text response, robust integration, two-way texting, drip SMS campaigns, and highly scalable, it secures 1st position on our list of top SMS marketing software for effective automated texting.
Pros | Cons |
Easy-to-use, scalable platform | Although Textdrip is power-packed with features, we have found that there are many features to explore, so it will be time-consuming. However, once you understand all features completely, its possibilities are endless. |
Includes AI add-ons such as Spintext and Text Generator | Textdrip is best suited for B2B clients and is packed with advanced features. However, individual users need a full demo to get used to it. Once the user is familiar with it, it becomes an invaluable tool. |
10 DLC-compliant tools that improve SMS deliverability, reduce spam and improve security. | - |
Best Suited For: Large-scale businesses and industries that require heavy customer support
The next on the list is SimpleTexting. This comprehensive SMS marketing tool helps your business grow through text message marketing. The platform is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses and offers features such as two-way messaging, integrations, MMS marketing, segmentation, analytics and reporting, SMS autoresponders, etc.
Pros | Cons |
Easily set up the SMS marketing list. | Sharing SimpleTexting's access among your team members is costly. |
You can integrate it with web apps that you already use to run surveys and gather feedback. | - |
Affordable and scalable plans | - |
Excellent customer support | - |
User-friendly interface | - |
Best Suited For: Small to medium businesses looking for a simple but effective SMS marketing platform.
Coming up next on the list is EZ Texting. If you are looking for a feature-rich platform that helps you increase your revenue and win customers' loyalty, EZ Texting is the perfect pick. The best thing about this platform is that it prompts everything to users. Therefore, if you are a non-technical person who wants to start with SMS marketing, it is an ideal platform. The platform offers features like contact management, integration & API, SMS automation, MMS messaging, analytics and reporting, bulk opt-out, bulk texting, and two-way communication, which almost all platforms offer. However, the unique features of this platform are digital sign-up forms, QR codes for growing the contact list, a link shortener and a tracker.
Pros | Cons |
User-friendly interface | Only basic reporting features |
Easy and scalable platform | Prompt everything so it can become annoying if you already know what to do. |
A budget-friendly option for beginners | - |
Excellent customer service | - |
Offers a 14 days free trial without any hidden charges and credit card information. | - |
Best Suited For: Beginners who are just starting with SMS marketing.
Up next on the list is SlickText. If you are looking for a platform that is 100% marketing-focused, lets you collect phone numbers, and send bulk messages, SlickText is the right pick. The platform offers impressive features like SMS automation, SMS shortcodes, bulk texting, MMS texting, SMS autoresponders, subscribers list growth, etc. Using this platform, you can send targeted and action-driving text messages to your customers.
Pros | Cons |
Easy integration with other marketing tools | - |
This platform's popular features include Text to Join, Text Surveys, SMS Autoresponders, Mobile Coupons, and Webhooks. | It is expensive if you want to access advanced features such as automated workflow. |
Perfect for engagement and loyalty programs | - |
REST API lets you create a custom workflow | - |
Best Suited For: Small, medium, and already-established businesses including sectors like eCommerce, marketing agencies, retail, schools, entertainment, nonprofits, churches, etc.
If you are looking for a text message marketing platform that lets you quickly send text messages, TextMagic is the perfect pick. You can access this tool through desktop browsers iOS and Android apps. The platform offers features like personalized bulk texting, two-way communication, 10DLC texting, SMS automation, reminders, integrations like Zapier, email to SMS, SMS API gateway, etc.
Pros | Cons |
Pay-as-you-go pricing plans | Automation features are not advanced compared to other platforms. |
Easy-to-use interface, specifically when you bring your CPaaS. | Limited SMS automation |
SMS automation, SMS opt-out management, SMS templates, SMS surveys, API Integration | - |
Best Suited For: Recruitment and HR, Schools, Service and Support, Event Management, Internal Communication, Appointment Reminders, Alerts, and Notifications.
Looking for a unified data & SMS marketing automation platform that lets you automate your eCommerce store? Your search ends here. Klaviyo is perfect for businesses that don't have the budget for SMS marketing. The platform lets you send 150 free SMS/MMS. The platform offers key features like two-way texting, segmentation, SMS opt-ins via QR, links, and email CTAs, integrations and API for payment/cart management, AI autoresponse, analytics and reporting capabilities, etc.
Pros | Cons |
In-built AI writer for emails and SMS | No mobile app |
Free version | Customer service is slow |
SMS automation, SMS opt-out management, SMS templates, SMS surveys, API | - |
Integration for seamless workflow management | - |
Best Suited For: eCommerce business
If you are looking for a fully HIPAA-compliant SMS marketing platform to communicate with your patients and doctors securely, Textline is the perfect pick. The platform offers features like shortcodes, two-way texting, bulk texting, SMS surveys, segmentation, group messaging, encryption, analytics and reporting, and third-party integrations with Zapier, Salesforce, Zendesk, etc. In short, this platform is ideal for modern customer support, logistics, sales, and marketing teams with a free trial.
Pros | Cons |
Top-notch security through encryption and HIPAA compliance | Need improvement in customer support. |
Best for all business sizes | The overall cost is high if looking for advanced marketing features. |
Easy-to-use user interface | - |
Secure data storage | - |
Flexible and scalable | - |
Best Suited For: Healthcare Industry
Looking for an SMS marketing platform that offers various features to help businesses reach their customers effectively? Textedly is the perfect pick. The platform is popular for its user-friendly interface and powerful features like SMS automation, SMS drip campaigns, personalization and segmentation, bulk texting, analytics and reporting, contact management, text scheduling, and other tools. Besides, the platform offers features such as omnichannel messaging, payment follow-ups, and Google Review Management.
Pros | Cons |
Quick bulk texting | Large CSV contact list uploading takes time. |
Email alerts when clients respond so there will be no missed messages. | Costly |
Great customer service | - |
Analytics and reporting offer insights into the campaign's success. | - |
Best Suited For: B2B businesses, financial institutions, hotels, spas, retail, and nonprofits.
Up next on the list is a Salesmsg. It is perfect for small and local businesses that want to increase customer engagement and improve their ROI. The platform is ideal for small businesses in the US and Canada. The platform offers features like contact management, opt-out management, analytics and reports, built-in AI assistant, landline texting, email to SMS, two-way texting, MMS texting, shared inbox, etc.
Pros | Cons |
Easy integrations with HubSpot, CRMs, Pipedrive, etc | You must provide a credit card number to access a free trial. |
Quickly get the local number whenever you are in Canada or the US. | - |
User-friendly interface | - |
Best Suited For: All business sizes for sending secure SMS